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Lauren Padgett
Lauren Jared Walters Padgett, 41, of Coeur d'Alene, died April 23, 2003, in Libby.
He was born May 18, 1961, in Salem, Ore., the son Bill and Katherine (Ridenour) Padgett.
He graduated from the Columbia Falls High School in 1979. For 20 years, he lived and worked in Spokane, Wash., where he was a machine operator for Big Sky Industrial. He moved to north Idaho in 1992, the same year he married Kathy Wandler, on June 13 in Rathdrum.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Katherine Padgett.
He is survived by his wife, Kathy, at home; father, Bill Padgett, of Kalispell; sister, Debbie Allen, of Coram; mother and father-in-law, John and Alma Wandler, of Post Falls, Idaho; brothers-in-law, Dave Wandler, of Post Falls, Idaho, Dan Wandler, Sagle, Jim and Linda Wandler, all of Sandpoint, Idaho; and several nieces and nephews.
Graveside serviced was at the Evergreen Cemetery, Post Falls, Idaho.
Dorothy Sanford
Dorothy Mae Deshler Bruce Sanford, 65, passed away May 15, 2003, after a lengthy illness at the Immanuel Lutheran Home in Kalispell.
She was born Nov. 22, 1937, in Wheeler to Fred E. and Mary (Kunz) Deshler and was raised by her mother and stepfather, Dean Bruce.
She married Harley "Jud" Sanford on July 2, 1955, and was married for 28 years before her passing. She worked as a cook for many local restaurants, retiring from the Husky House in 1984. She loved her family very much, especially her grandchildren. She also enjoyed crocheting and gardening.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Harley "Jud" Sanford; father, Fred E. Deshler; and mother and step-father, Mary and Dean Bruce.
She is survived by five children, Jay and Sharon Sanford, of Columbia Falls, Deana and William Wilson, of Kalispell, Fay and lee Hagen, of Kalispell, Carl and Cathy Sanford, of New Castle, Wyo., and Roberta Sanford, of Drummond; 13 grandchildren, Varley and Diana Sanford, of Kalispell, Rusty and Gina Sanford, of Fort Hood, Texas, Dean Sanford, of Columbia Falls, Jacob Sanford, of Columbia Falls, Myles and Jeri Wilson, of Aurora, Colo., Dani and Dustin Jones, of Kalispell, Peggy Wilson, of Boston, Mass., Joshua and Leahtrice Hagen, of Kalispell, Helen Sanford, of Laramie, Wyo., Carl Sanford, Jr., of Laramie, Wyo., Rebecca Sanford, of New Castle, Wyo., and Traci Sanford, of Lakeland, Fla.; 12 great grandchildren with a 13th on the way, Jonathon, Kaila, Shelby, Harley Jud, Tayler, Vanessa, Trey, Amanda, Jessica Samantha, Madelyn, and Amber; four brothers and sisters, Gary and Judy Bruce, of Kalispell, Henry and Kitty Bruce, of Columbia Falls, Nancy and Paul Fauth, of Whitefish, and Mary and Bruce Severon, of Kalispell; and numerous nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.
Funeral service will be held on Thursday, May 22, at 1 p.m., at Johnson Mortuary Chapel with burial to follow at Demersville Cemetery.
The family suggest memorials to the Immanuel Lutheran Home, Bratsburg Wing, 185 Crestline Avenue, Kalispell MT. 5990l.
Richard Savage
Richard H. Savage passed away peacefully surrounded by the beauty of Glacier National Park. His wife and childhood sweetheart, Audrey, was by his side.
He was born in Great Falls on Dec. 22, 1934. He was the youngest of five boys born to Frank and Stella Savage. His early years were spent in Niehart, where his parents owned a restaurant and boarding house. Later, the family moved to Belton and then to Somers. He attended Flathead High School and graduated in 1953. He also studied at the University of Washington.
He met his future wife, Audrey Treweek, in civics class at the age of 14. Nine years later, they were married, and they spent 44 years devoted to each other in sickness and in health.
Skiing was a focal point in his life. Inspired by his brother, George, he began skiing at King's Hill in Niehart. Later, he was a ski racer for Flathead High School at Big Mountain. Upon graduation, he pursued a career in the ski industry. His career began in Sun Valley, Idaho, as a ski instructor and ski patrolman. He continued to instruct at Mount Spokane, Mount Pilchuk and Mount Baker, Wash., as well as Big Mountain. He was also in sales for a number of years with Anderson and Thompson Ski Co. in Seattle, Wash. He was a life-time member of the Professional Ski Instructor's Association.
Eventually, he became involved with Flathead Industries. He was one of the early managers of the recycling center and developed many friendships with clients while working there.
He and Audrey raised two children, Dan, a local veterinarian, and Karen, a school teacher in Colorado.
He loved to visit Sun Valley, and he rarely could be persuaded to vacation elsewhere. His sense of humor and uncanny ability to remember people, places and events endeared him to many. He was a humble man who opened his heart to animals and nature. Although his health failed him the last years of his life, his strength and determination were inspiring to those who knew him. He was a good man who will be deeply missed.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Stella Savage, and his brothers, Frank, Jr., Gene and Ralph Savage.
He is survived by his wife, Audrey; his children, Daniel Savage and his wife, Sally Hash-Savage, of Kalispell, Karen Savage and her husband, Andrew Bricker, of Castle Rock, Colo.; a brother, George Savage and wife, Ann, of Deming, Wash.; two sisters-in-law, Helen Savage, of Great Falls, and Phyllis Parker and husband, Bobby, of Kalispell; a brother-in-law, Jim Treweek and wife, Marge, of Eureka; and several nieces and nephews.
Memorial service was held May 19, 2003, at Epworth Methodist Church.
The family suggests memorials to the Intermountain Children's Home, 500 South Lamborn, Helena MT 5960l, or to the Humane Society of Northwest Montana, 42 Woodland Park Drive, Kalispell MT 5990l, or to an organization of their choice.
Leroy Gunderson
Leroy Clifford Gunderson, 79, of Missoula, passed away May 18, 2003, at the Village Health Care of natural causes.
He was born May 23, 1923, in Stanley, N.D., to Andrew and Ruth Holm Gunderson.
He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, assigned to an engineer unit in France and Germany, in 1944 through 1945.
He married Mary McClung Hamilton in Colorado on March 29, 1961. He worked in the construction industry as a heavy equipment operator for 40 years and was a proud member of the Operating Engineer's Union.
He was a member of the Masonic Lodge of Paonia, Colo., and Scottish Rite of Denver, Colo.
He was an avid outdoors man during his life and dreamed of a fresh snow during big game season or a quiet Montana lake where he could sit in his boat and fish.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a younger brother, Dell, and a granddaughter, Ashley.
He is survived by his wife; daughter, Ann; stepson, Steve; sister, Inez Weyrauch of Kalispell; brothers, Arnie of Clark Fork, Idaho, and John of Minot, N.D.; five grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family will hold a graveside service at a later date.
Julia Kosa
Julia (Tomasco) Kosa, 91, passed away July 28, 2003, at Brendan House in Kalispell.
Julia was born May 14, 1912, in Stratford, Conn. She grew up on a farm and was one of nine children. She married George Kosa in 1936 and they had two children. After his death, she worked as a dietary aide at Bridgeport Hospital and later retired to live near her daughter Dolores in Columbia Falls. For more than 20 years she was "Grandma Kosa" to many Columbia Falls children, sharing her love and kindness with all.
Julia was predeceased by her parents; all eight of her siblings; her husband, George; and her daughter, Dolores Covill Finn.
She is survived by her son, Donald, and wife, Nancy, of Milford, Conn.; three grandsons, David, and wife, Jenny, of Columbia Falls; Jeffrey Kosa and wife, Jaimi, of Hudson, N.H.; and Timothy Kosa, of Milford, Conn.; two granddaughters, Marilyn Covill Haymaker and husband, Kerry, of Nashville, Tenn., and Denise Kosa Hennessy, of Orange, Conn.; and five great grandchildren, Josh, Emma, Jasper, Lincoln and Jade.
A funeral Mass was held at St. Richard's Catholic Church on Aug. 1. Burial followed at Woodlawn Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made in her name to Brendan House, 350 Conway Drive, Kalispell MT, 59901.
Reed Smith
Reed Smith, 17, was called to be with his Lord and Savior, Aug. 6, 2003, at Deaconess Medical Center, in Spokane, Wash.
He was born in Anchorage, Alaska, to Rick Smith and Heidi Johnson Smith on March 1, 1986. He was raised at Anchorage and had attended school at Service High School, in Anchorage, and at Columbia Falls High School.
He enjoyed life to the fullest, enjoying and loving both family and friends and always having a smile. He had been an ardent hockey fan and, being a roller-coaster aficionado, enjoyed amusement parks as well.
He is survived by his parents, Rick and Heidi Smith, of Anchorage, Alaska; his sisters, Lindsey Smith-Gabriel and husband, Todd, and Brittney Smith, of Anchorage and Columbia Falls; his grandparents, Gene and Pal Johnson, of Eureka, and Mel and Ellie Smith, of Apache Junction, Ariz.; several aunts, uncles and cousins; and a host of friends.
Service was held at the First Baptist Church in Eureka. Interment will follow at Tobacco Valley Cemetery under the direction of Nelson and Vial Funeral Home in Eureka.
Doris Guenther
Doris E. (Winters) Guenther, age 72, of Columbia Falls, passed away Monday, Aug. 25, 2003, at Kalispell Regional Medical Center after a long battle with cancer.
She was born on July 8, 1931, in Miles City to Jack W. and Mary Winters. She was raised in the Ashland area.
She was married to Dale Guenther on Aug. 26, 1950. They would have celebrated their 53rd anniversary this year.
Doris was a very dependable, loyal, hard worker. She was very involved with her crafting, and she traveled to craft shows throughout Montana. She grew many different flowers in her yard, using them with silk birds and the wild roses she collected for her wreaths and dried floral arrangements.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Laura Decker.
She is survived by her husband, Dale Guenther, of Columbia Falls; her children, Don Guenther, Debbie Schumacher, Ken Guenther and Vickie Gove, all of Columbia Falls; a sister, Lucille Hobbs, of Columbia Falls; two brothers, Bill Winters, of Hungry Horse, and Jack Winters, of Alaska; eight grandchildren; and 11 great grandchildren, with one due at any time.
A memorial service was held Sept. 2, 2003 at the Columbia Mortuary in Columbia Falls, with Rev. Joe Pat Moran officiaing. Burial followed at Woodlawn Cemetery.
Andrew Koch
Mass of Christian Burial for Andrew Koch, 94, of Belfield, N.D., took place Sept. 1, 2003 at St. Bernard's Catholic Church, with Father Shannon Lucht celebrating. Interment was at St. Joseph's Cemetery.
Andrew passed away Aug. 28, 2003 at St. Joseph's Hospital, in Dickinson.
Andrew was born June 21, 1909, in rural Dickinson, N.D., the son of Dennis and Catherine Fisher Koch. He grew up and attended a country school near South Heart, N.D. Andrew farmed on the family homestead with his father. He was married to Christine Hecker on Feb. 28, 1933, at St. Bernard's Catholic Church, in Belfield. To this union, 16 children were born. They continued to farm near South Heart until 1945, when they bought their present farm, three miles northwest of Belfield. Andrew continued farming there until he retired in 1970.
They moved to Hungry Horse where Andrew worked four years for his son, Andrew, Jr., on a guest ranch as a wrangler. He worked in Columbia Falls for Plum Creek Lumber Co. for eight years as a custodian before retiring. In 1994, after 25 years in Montana, they moved to Bowman. In 1996, they returned to Belfield to retire and have lived there since. Andrew was a member of the Knights of Columbus and an active member of St. Bernard's Catholic Church. He was a great woodworker, enjoyed fishing and hunting in the Montana mountains.
Survivors include his wife, Christine, of Belfield; six sons, Arnold (Carol) Koch, of Richfield, Minn., Wilbert (Irene) Koch, of Williston, N.D., Andrew, Jr. (Carol) Koch, of Columbia Falls, Paul Koch, of Creston, Robert (Connie) Koch, of Billings, and Thomas (Amy) Koch, of Kalispell; 10 daughters, Clara Dowhaniuk, of Belfield, Lorraine Schubert, of Roy, Wash., Margaret Millen, of Tacoma, Wash., Anne West (Jerry), of Bowman, N.D., Paulette Inglehorn (Lynn), of Forest Lake, Minn., Marcella Olson (J.M.) of Watford City, N.D., Judy Palahniuk (Bernard), of Fairfield, N.D., Cynthia Elhart (Morris), of Casper, Wyo., Nora Molm (Dennis), of Billings, and Faye Turner, of Columbia Falls; 48 grandchildren; 42 great grandchildren; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins; and many friends.
His parents, two brothers, four sisters, four sons-in-law and a great granddaughter preceded him in death. Andrew was the last member ofthe Dennis Koch family.
Joyce Ogdahl
Joyce C. (Greenland) Ogdahl, 61, of Kalispell, died at her home with her husband, Stan, at her bedside, on Aug. 26, 2003, after a long and brave battle with cancer.
She was born in Columbia Falls on March 31, 1942, where she was raised and attended both grade school and high school. In 1988, she moved back to Columbia Falls, after living in Washington state for over 26 years. In 1990, she married Stan Ogdahl and the couple lived near the family home in Columbia Falls before moving to Kalispell in 2001.
She loved working with crafts, cooking and baking, especially for family gatherings. She always expressed outgoing concern for others, especially family, even up to the time of her death. For example, she made sure her nephew, Cliff Mower, who is serving in the Army in Iraq, was sent a "care package" 15 days before her death. Cliff received this package on the day of her death.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Merle and Gladys Greenland, a brother, Clifford, and a sister, Palma Kushner.
She is survived by her husband, Stan; her two children, Jan Robison and Kim Taylor, all from Kalispell; a stepdaughter, Serena, of Washington; her sister, Karen Shepherd, of Stevensville; seven grandchildren; three great grandchildren; and many relatives.
Graveside service will be held on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2003, at 2 p.m., at the Woodlawn Cemetery in Columbia Falls.
Tom Edwards
Tom Edwards was born Dec. 2, 1950, at Park Rapids, Minn., and passed away Sept. 4, 2003, at the University of Washington Hospital in Seattle after a brief illness.
He attended school in Park Rapids, Minn., until he moved with his family to Omak, Wash., in 1966. Tom graduated from Omak High School in 1968. He then married Joan Weitman, of Omak. They raised a family near Spokane. Later he remarried in September 2001 to Donna Reed, of Columbia Falls, where he made his home.
Tom was fortunate as he truly enjoyed his job as a welder working for the Bonneville Power Administration for 23 years. He was a loving grandfather, father, son, brother and husband. All his life, Tom liked to spend his free time outdoors or tinkering in his garage. When challenged, he would never pass up a good game of pool. While relaxing, you would always find Tom having a good time in the company of family and friends.
His grandson, Spencer Thomas Gray, preceded Tom in death.
Tom is survived by his wife, Donna, and her children Donnie, Sarah and Derik, of Columbia Falls; his parents, Herman and Carol Crandall, of Omak, and Stan and Leigh Edwards, of Redmond, Wash.; his daughter Deva, and husband, Mark, and daughters Sequoia and Chenoa, of Macedon, Australia; his daughter Inge, and husband, Jason, and their children Andrew, Charlene and James, of Reardan, Wash.; his son Tom Edwards, and fiance, Emily, of Spokane; his sisters Diana Weitman, and husband, Dick, of Moses Lake, Wash., and Sue Carlton, and husband, Greg, of Omak; and his brother Herman Crandall, and wife, Maria, of Omak; along with numerous nieces, nephews, extended family members and friends.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, Sept. 12 at 1 p.m. at the Columbia Mortuary in Columbia Falls. Rev. David Kauffman will officiate. A reception will follow at the North Valley Eagles Club in Columbia Falls.
